This invention relates to the field of electrical systems and devices, and more specifically a surface-mounted track, conduit, raceway or duct having diverse components that facilitate the mounting of electrical devices onto the track/conduit/raceway/duct, and which provides for the routing of wiring that extends to and from the electrical devices.
A non-limiting utility of the present invention is to provide a wiring track that is used to route wires to and from electrical/electronic devices that are associated with a control panel, wherein the electrical/electronic devices are designed to control the running and the sequencing of motors that drive pumps and conveyors, and/or to control other electrical/electronic devices such as lamps, etc., at least some of which are controlled by level, pressure, temperature, and/or flow sensors or switches.
Many times in the past relays and control equipment were mounted directly on a control panel, and the associated wiring was merely bundled together and then tied with a bee""s wax impregnated cord.
Other times, a well known DIN rail of variable length was provided, and electrical/electronic components were snapped onto the DIN rail. At the present time, most electrical/electronic components, such as power supplies analog relays, logic controllers and converters, can be purchased with DIN rail mounting means.
When DIN rails were used, it was conventional to also provide a wiring duct that extended around the perimeter of the DIN rail, in order to accommodate wiring to and from the components that were mounted on the DIN rail. The physical space that was occupied by the DIN rail and its surrounding wiring duct was generally quite large, for example this space was often from about 8 to about 12 inches wide.
The present invention provides a new and unusual wiring track that occupies a relatively small physical space, that provides for the mounting of DIN-rail-compatible components and accessories thereon, and that provides for the housing therein of the wiring that is associated with the DIN-rail-compatible components.
Various wiring tracks are known in the art. The following examples are incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,350,135 provides an elongated raceway 30 that includes a divider wall 36 that operates to divide the raceway into two parallel channels. i.e. a communications channel 38 and a power channel 37. A power outlet 10 is mounted over raceway 30 (see FIGS. 7-11) such that its terminal interface arm 20 that carries a neutral contact 14, a ground contact 16 and hot contacts 18 reside within power channel 37, for connection to power wires 40.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,821,688 provides a multi-purpose wall service duct that includes a molding 1 having three parallel channels that carry wires or pipes. The three channels of the service duct include a top cover 18, and middle cover 6 and a lower cover 27. FIG. 1 shows how a distribution connector 12, and TV power outlet 23 and a special connector 32 can be mounted on the middle cover 6 for connection to electrical conductors that are carried by the three parallel channels of the service duct.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,942,724 provides a raceway for power wiring 14 and communications wiring 16. A raceway base 10 includes a divider 18 that provides two parallel channels, one channel for each type of wiring. An electrical outlet back plate 20 can be provided over base 10 as shown in FIG. 5, and cover segments 12 can be provided over base 10 between the outlet back plates, to thus provide the arrangement shown in FIG. 4 that includes the double gang back plate 60 shown in FIG. 6, wherein back plate 60 includes both power leads 14 and data communications wires 16, and facilitates connection to a vertically extending raceway 100.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,841 provides a hollow structure (B of FIG. 2, C of FIG. 6, or D of FIG. 8) that can internally support the electrical raceway that is shown in FIG. 1.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,162,614 provides a raceway 10 that includes two elongated and U-shaped sections 30 and 32 that are hinged at 34. In an open condition, electrical components such as connectors 14 and 15, power lines, and communications cables are positioned within the raceway sections, whereupon the sections are pivoted to a closed position. The raceway carries both power receptacles 26 and telecommunications receptacles 27.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,209 provides an elongated, aluminum or plastic, and U-shaped track 10 having openings 21 cut therein for the passage of wires 39, and having a plurality of stations A, B, etc. that are located along the length of track 10. Each station includes a pair of spring metal clips 45 into which single wiring connector units 11 and their single electrical components 13, or multiple wiring connector units 12 and their multiple electric components 14, are inserted. Components 13 and 14 can be relays, amplifiers, bussing modules, suppressors for voltage transients, etc.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,580 provides an electrical connector module 500 wherein electrical connections are automatically made to overcurrent protection devices 400 as the devices are inserted into connector module 500. Module 500 includes a printed circuit board 510 having two male-plug passageways 520,525 and one signal terminal passageway 530 for each signal terminal of an overcurrent protection device 400. Module 500 also includes a number of load busbars 540 and a common support member 550 that functions as a common busbar.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,827,372 provides an assembly for mounting electrical or pneumatic devices 12, 14, 16, 18 on a printed circuit board 10. Printed circuit board 10 is mounted on the side-walls 32 and 34 of a channel 28. A cover channel 44 is provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,710,853 provides an assembly for supporting electrical components having snap-action mounts. An extruded housing 1 includes two parallel side walls 3 and 4 and a bottom wall 2. Bottom wall 2 includes two parallel rails 5 to which electrical elements are snap-fastened.
The invention provides an elongated and flat (plastic) cover having an exposed outer surface that is adapted to be flush-mounted onto a control panel, or on a self that is within a control panel or another type of enclosure, for example a control panel or enclosure that is designed to control the running and the sequencing of motors that drive pumps, blowers or conveyers, lamps and the like in accordance with the output of level, pressure, temperature and flow sensors and/or switches and the like.
In accordance with the invention, each of the two parallel side edges of the above-mentioned cover include the female-portion of a snap-in hinge.
An elongated and generally U-shaped (plastic) channel is formed by (1) a flat and rectangular-shaped top-wall, (2) two rectangular-shaped angle-walls that respectively extend downward at an angle (of about 45-degrees) from the two parallel edges of the top-wall, and (3) two rectangular-shaped and parallel side-walls that respectively extend downward from an edge of the two angle-walls so as to extend generally perpendicular to the top-wall.
The free end of each of the two above-mentioned side walls includes the male-portion of a snap-in hinge.
The U-shaped channel is mounted onto the cover when one or both of its male hinge portions are snapped into one or both of the cover""s female hinge portions.
The cover and U-shaped channel may be cut to any required length.
The top and exposed surface of the U-shaped channel includes a metal mounting rail (more specifically a well known DIN rail) to which electrical/electronic devices such as terminals, relays, power supplies, etc. are mechanically mounted. This DIN rail may also function as a grounding bus for the components that are mounted thereon.
The top-wall and the two side-walls of the U-shaped channel include elongated through-openings (more specifically elongated slots). The internal and elongated cavity that is defined by the cover and the U-shaped channel provides for the routing of electrical wires that extend to and from the electrical devices that are mounted onto the DIN rail.
The exposed and sloped surface of each of the two angle-walls includes an elongated slot. Each slot slidably receives or mounts the two opposite edges of an elongated and generally rectangular printed circuit board (PCB). Each PCB carries four elongated and parallel metal busses.
More specifically, (1) a first metal bus lies on the top surface of the PCB and extends along one edge of the PCB, (2) a second metal bus lies on the bottom surface of the PCB and extends along the one edge of the PCB, (3) a third metal bus lies on the top surface of the PCB and extends along an opposite edge of the PCB, and (4) a fourth metal bus lies on the bottom surface of the PCB and extends along the opposite edge of the PCB.
The top, exposed, and elongated middle-surface of each PCB mounts a plurality of screw-terminal-groups that collectively extend the length of the PCB. Each screw-terminal-group includes four individual screw-connectors that are grouped together in a side-by-side arrangement.
The first screw-connector of each terminal-group is printed-circuit-connected to a first of the PCB""s four metal busses. The second screw-connector of each terminal-group is printed-circuit-connected to a second of the PCB""s four metal busses. The third screw-connector of each terminal-group is printed-circuit-connected to a third of the PCB""s four metal busses. The fourth screw-connector of each terminal-group is printed-circuit-connected to a fourth of the PCB""s four metal busses.
Virtually any desired power and/or input/output wiring configuration can be provided to and from electrical devices that reside on the DIN rail by way of electrical connection to the various terminal-groups that extend the length of the PCB.
A given wire may enter and/or leave the longitudinally-extending and internal cavity that extends the length of the wiring track by way of the above-mentioned elongated openings, the wire passes then down at least a portion of the length of the cavity, the wire then exits the cavity by way of an elongated opening, whereupon the wire may be connected to a desired screw-connector and its metal bus.
In this way, a desired electrical connection can be made to any device that is mounted on the DIN rail, electrical signals can be applied to any device that is mounted on the DIN rail, and/or electrical signals can be taken off of any device that is mounted on the DIN rail.
Two end plates can be provided to close the two opposite ends of the internal cavity. These end plates preferably include through-holes for the passage of wire through the end plates.
By virtue of the above construction and arrangement, access is provided to the wiring track""s internal cavity, the U-shaped channel can be pivoted about either edge of the cover, and the various access openings within the channel and its end plates enable wires to be threaded as is needed.